tyke
1or tike
[ tahyk ]
/ taɪk /
noun
a child, especially a small boy.
any small child.
a cur; mongrel.
Chiefly Scot. a low, contemptible fellow; boor.
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Nearby words
Origin of tyke
11350–1400; Middle English < Old Norse tīk bitch
Definition for tyke (2 of 2)
tyke
2or tike
[ tahyk ]
/ taɪk /
noun
Australia and New Zealand Informal. a Roman Catholic.
Origin of tyke
21940–45; compare Ulster English Taig contemptuous term for a Roman Catholic Irishman, archaic English teague derogatory name for an Irishman < Irish Tadhg a common personal name
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for tyke
British Dictionary definitions for tyke
tyke
tike
/ (taɪk) /
noun
a dog, esp a mongrel
informal a small or cheeky child: used esp in affectionate reproof
British dialect a rough ill-mannered person
Also called: Yorkshire tyke British slang, often offensive a person from Yorkshire
Australian slang, offensive a Roman Catholic
Word Origin for tyke
C14: from Old Norse tīk bitch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for tyke
tyke
c.1400, "cur, mongrel," from Old Norse tik "bitch," related to Middle Low German tike. Also applied in Middle English to a low-bred or lazy man. The meaning "child" is from 1902, though it was used in playful reproof from 1894.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper